Common use of CSIRO Clause in Contracts

CSIRO. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) employs more than six thousand staff in many divisions. The Australia Telescope National Facility (ATNF) is a division of CSIRO that specialises in research and technological developments in radio astronomy. The ATNF operates as open access national facilities the Parkes 64m telescope, the Mopra 22m antenna and the 6 x 22m antennas of the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). The ATNF also heads the Australian bid to host the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), the next generation radio astronomy instrument. ATNF is building the 36 x 12m Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) and developing new and innovative technologies for the SKA. The ATNF also operates a VLBI array, the Long Baseline Array (LBA), which utilises all the ATNF antennas and other telescopes in Australia, such as the Hobart and Ceduna antennas operated by the University of Tasmania and the NASA Tidbinbilla antennas. The VLBI data are correlated on a computer cluster operated by the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ University of Technology, utilising the DiFX software correlator developed at Swinburne University of Technology. The LBA is the only substantial VLBI array operating in the Southern Hemisphere. The LBA partners also conduct a vigorous research and development programme in e-VLBI, in partnership with the Australian NREN AARNet. Recent developments include: connecting the ATNF antennas via 2 x 1 Gbps links; there are 3 computer clusters that operate as DiFX software correlators; recorded VLBI data is also electronically transferred via a Petabyte store operated by ARCS (government funded agency); operating e-VLBI and recording in parallel. The ATNF and AARNet were also key participants in the EXPReS project. So, the ATNF and its LBA partners are already committed to e-VLBI research and ideally suited to complement the activities in Europe planned for NEXPReS. CSIRO participates directly in WP6, but through this Australian connection there will also be synergy with other Australian projects, in particular at AARNET and in the group of ▇▇▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ at ▇▇▇▇▇▇ University, Perth, Western Australia. This latter group has considerable expertise on e-VLBI and has developed the DiFX software correlator that has been deployed at multiple sites around the world. CSIRO's contribution to WP6 will consist of ATNF's participation on the one hand, with their telescopes and correlator facilities, and AARNET participating in building the networking resources within and to Australia. In WP7 CSIRO will provide global baselines and help with integration of the DiFX software correlator. ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ is the leader of the e-VLBI project and the VLBI operations coordinator in ATNF. He has been involved in VLBI research for more than 25 years and his scientific research interests range from AGN to X-ray binaries and Supernovae. He is also a trained electrical engineer and is involved in technology developments for radio astronomy, as well as international involvement in the IAU, URSI and ITU. ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ chaired the EXPReS board for the last 18 months and will be coordinating the Australian contributions to NEXPReS . Dr ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ heads all technical developments of e-VLBI in Australia. His research interests are mainly in spectral-line observations of masers and massive star formation. He has wide international experience and spent 5 years working at JIVE. He is the main architect of the LBA Data Recorder (LBADR) and all software developments specific to e-VLBI, and will be the main technical person for the Australian NEXPReS participation. Dr ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ has research interests in supernovae and it is the key networking person at ATNF. He plays a key role in all network operations and developments and has been a key person for the e-VLBI project. In collaboration with AARNet he will handle all the necessary networking developments for NEXPReS in Australia.